This is an aside really, but should we think of PMs as being "higher up the ladder"? It's a really common conception, but I think it's detrimental in some ways to consider other roles in that way.

Same with developers and architects. It's as though there's a feeling sometimes architects are somehow 'higher up' than developers. It's a shame its a pervasive perception.

The best way I know is taking some time to do something fun and interesting away from screens, or at least away from screens as the focal point. For me during a stressful startup phase, this took me from working every day, evening, weekend save for an hour or two hike every two weeks to taking a hike or walk every day (before work and/or in the evening), even if just a few minutes. Eventually I went from burning time working inefficiently (& not caring how long anything took) to working more effectively and productively without having to uselessly burn so much time. I had a lot of interests in nature and hiking already though, so that helped, so my secondary advice is that whatever it is should have some exercise aspect to it but also be tied to an interest - exercise for the sake of exercise isn't generally too sustainable in the longer term (how many folks do you know with an unused gym membership?).

More specifically how I stayed motived to keep walking/moving was tying other interests to it. I've become pretty decent at wildlife photography (an hour a day for a few years and that'll happen), I made maps of all the local hiking trails on Google Maps and Open Street Maps, I learned to identify and find various wildlife species (birds, insects, wildflowers) and report rare ones found to those who are looking for them, I snowshoe in the winter and cycle during the other seasons as well. Now it's all normal enough to me I actually want to get my coding done efficiently and effectively as I don't think of myself having all kinds of time to fix issues later.

Some other ideas though, which can help keep you in good shape too:

• home improvement & maintenance
• gardening
• sports
• cycling
• running/jogging
• music
• volunteering in things that require walking around or light physical labour

I'm sure there's many other things that can be thought of... if you get bored with whatever you choose, go to something else immediately. Switch things up. Set goals. A daily goal is best otherwise it is easy to procrastinate (e.g., twice per week means a lot of "oh I'll do that tomorrow").

For me there are different types of work-related stress and different people cope differently. I generally see stress as good stress or bad stress, and what type of stress exists in a work environment is usually a function of the prevailing culture in the organisation, which in turn depends on management.

Good stress is usually self-imposed, and usually comes from wanting to achieve something, not because you have to, but because you want to. On the other hand, bad stress stems from fear or apprehension or insecurity - for instance, feeling you must do something to impress an oppresive boss or to keep a big client happy.

For me good management is about creating a work environment where positive stress dominates. Individuals in such an environment would achieve more - both in terms of quality and quantity.

Personally if I start to feel stressed in a job, I know there is something wrong - either with the way I see things at the time or the environment. And if I can't do something to change that situation I generally quit as I value my sanity far more than any job, business deal or money.

So @tommyjune my way of dealing with stress is to try and prevent it in the first place - both for myself and for the people that work with/for me.

Great question! As a web developer and mother that almost never happens naturally so you have to force it. It's ok to say "no" to things. You don't have to be everything to everyone. Personally, when I get burned out I take timeout for myself; get in a good laugh; go outside in nature and reset. You'd be surprised what some fresh air and a good laugh can do for your soul.

I try to play videogames when I'm feeling about to burn out. Playing music sometimes help me, also take time to read a book, something like a novel, just anything that keep your mind to a relax state.

Further to my answer below and considering my love for poker I would suggest reading the following books:
The mental game of poker by jared tendler
The mental game of poker 2 by jared tendler

Whilst they are about poker there are some fundamental things that can be applied to any aspect of life. I would at least suggest reading the first couple of chapters of each book.

Exercise and music are the best stress-busters. Just make time for music and exercise on a daily basis, even if it is for about 20 minutes. That can bring a sense of balance in your life.

Just reaching out to others, helps - just like what you are doing now :)

For engineers and everyone working a lot in a front of PC it is very important to have any sport activities in everyday's schedule.

I am always walking a lot, every day going for lunch in any cafe or restaurant which is not near to office. Don't use car or public transport. If there is a park somewhere between, always walk through the park or just take some rest there before/after lunch. Sometimes I have even meetings in the parks or any beatiful and quiet area.

Always practice mindfulness, train your mind and control your emotions. This is especially important for managers and CEO.

I have found Tai Chi and Qi gong very very helpful for both of them - body and mind. There is even more in Buddhism - a book of life, a philosophy of self-imporvement and stress-control.

Take small breaks more often.

Keep learning something new.

Read books, answers, watch videos about the successful people.

Just be opened, social, humane and try to understand every person from their perspective, never judge people, never make any conclusions too fast, take more time to analize and understand first, don't expect anything from others, be yourself, you are not obliged to do anything for anyone, just focus on yourself, surround yourself with people you like. If there are any sources of stress for you, you should remove them asap.

Edit:

Forgot about the music. This is one of my recent favorites - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghHDclZKVoY

The opposite of work is play so the answer is quite simple " Take Time To Play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and you will be surprised at how relived you would be. Best Wishes

We had an AMA with Lee Byron recently and someone had asked the same question i.e. how to avoid stress and burnout. So, I suggest reading Leeb's answer.

I'm the co-founder of a start up and as you can imagine - it's quite stressful all the time.
To combat this, I either break something, eat something or go home for a bit. I also play the drums so that really helps :).
Something that I've started recently as well is a blog - it helps you vent your frustrations and clears your head. It really helps me. The feedback you receive really helps.
I understand that some freedoms aren't given to people lower down the ladder but I tend to find that as long as you're doing your job and doing it well then talking to your superior about flexible times and things - would be a good idea.

Find something that brings you pleasure that's not a screen. Like baking, or fishing, or going for a walk. Mindfulness is a school of thought that deals with stress. You should take a look at that. Also, try to get some perspective. If you are not dealing with heart surgery or rescuing puppies, then it's really ok if things get messed up for a while.

The biggest aspect is to not hold on to the stress after it's done. Here's a link to a Quora topic that covers this.

Buy a simple yoga mat. Find yourself a bit of grass in the sun, or just a quiet area. Buy yourself some decent headphones, and during the day, take about 15 minutes to chill out on your mat.

Really does wonders.